The Mogwai Meadow
by Aria Breuer
Summary: The sequel to 'The Green Goblins'. Five years passed since the gremlin incident at Hobbiton and Bywater, forgotten by many Shire folk, Frodo Baggins encounters Mr. Wing, who delivers a package to him. Inside the package is the one visitor Frodo thought he would not have to care for again. Alternate Reality.
1. Reunited, Oneshot

**The Mogwai Meadow**

**By: Aria Breuer**

**Disclaimers:** All material from _The Lord of the Rings_ book trilogy belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien. All material from the 1984 film "Gremlins" belongs to Joe Dante. All original material, including the plotline and Mogwai names, belongs to the author of this fan fiction three-shot story.

**Summary:** Five years have passed since the gremlin incident at Hobbiton and Bywater. In spite of the incident, forgotten by many Shire folk, Frodo Baggins once more encounters Mr. Wing, who delivers a package to him. Inside the package is the one visitor Frodo thought he would not have to care for again. This fan fiction crossover story is the sequel to _The Green Goblins_; Alternate Reality.

* * *

This story was first suggested by my friend, ValueMyHeart, but this story's title dawned on me for a different reason entirely. Since _The Mogwai Meadow_'s title follows the very same thread I have with most of my stories, you the readers will have to wait to see what this title means. Before we begin the story, let me inform you the readers that this will have an original plotline, as opposed to what happened in the first one-shot series, _The Green Goblins_. Although this story is set five years after the events from the first story, this story will pick up right where _The Green Goblins_ left off.

Now with that said and done, I will allow you, the readers, to read and review _The Mogwai Meadow_.

* * *

**Reunited, One-Shot**

Spring was in full bloom in the year 3020, towards the end of the Third Age of Middle-earth. Almost a month passed since Frodo Baggins' best friend, Samwise Gamgee, wedded his long-time sweetheart Rosie Cotton. Yet Frodo was burdened in both mind and body, due to the effects of wearing the One Ring for the duration of his journey to Mordor.

Frodo was considered taller and fairer than most hobbits, perhaps due to his Fallohide blood. He had curly brown hair, bright eyes, and a cleft in the chin. Since Sam's marriage to Rosie, Frodo invited the wedded couple to live with him at Bag End. This arrangement worked well for the Gamgees, as Sam and Rosie expected to have a large family. In a way, Frodo was happy for the couple, but kept to himself that he was still pained by old wounds that would not give him any rest, especially on the days he recalled receiving those wounds.

Lobelia Sackville-Baggins no longer bothered Frodo. After Frodo returned to the Shire, he freed Lobelia from the Lockholes, or storage tunnels in the chief village of Michel Delving. In spite of Lotho practically taking over the Shire and handing the country to ruffians, while Frodo and his friends journeyed outside the borders of the Shire, Lobelia gave Bag End back to Frodo, before returning to her home village of Hardbottle to live with the Bracegirdles. If this wasn't enough, Lobelia told Frodo that when she died, she would give him all of her money to help the hobbits left homeless by the wizard Saruman and her son, Lotho, who died in 3019 TA, sometime after Saruman and Gríma Wormtongue's arrival in the Shire.

On the twenty-ninth of May, after returning from his morning walk, Frodo grabbed the post from the mailbox. While climbing up the stone steps, Frodo briefly peered at the enclosed parchments before he stepped inside Bag End, past the front green door. In the luxurious smial – also called a dwelling or a hobbit-hole – Frodo entered the parlour and sat down in front of a square, wooden table. After sorting through the post, Frodo found one of the parchments addressed to him. The red seal on the back had Chinese symbols, none of which Frodo recognized or knew what they meant. Breaking the seal, Frodo unfolded the parchment to find a message inside, written in the Common Tongue. The message read, in fine inked letters:

_Dear Mr. Baggins:_

_The time has come for you to receive Mogwai. I will return to Bag End in two months' time._

_Until we meet again._

_Signed,  
Mr. Wing_

"You choose to return this year?" asked Frodo, shocked and bewildered. He re-read the message, before muttering to himself, "I'm not ready for this task. Isn't there someone else that can care for a Mogwai?"

"Master Frodo, are you all right?" asked Sam, entering the parlour with a concerned look on his face. As he sat down across from Frodo, who was staring at the note in his hands, Sam grabbed the post that was left untouched on the table's wooden surface. After a pause, Sam asked, "What is it?"

Looking up, Frodo asked his gardener and friend, "Sam, do you recall – at least five years ago – when a bearded man stopped by to pick up a furry creature?"

"Do you mean the Mogwai?" asked Sam, surprising himself from recalling the creature's breed.

"Yes Sam," said Frodo, a small grin showed across his face. "I mean the Mogwai." His voice faded as his thoughts drifted off into the distance. Returning to memories of Marish – the name the Mogwai had given to himself – also brought back memories of sadness, terror, and dread. He knew he did not want a repeat performance, as had occurred five years prior in Hobbiton and Bywater, nor see his friends and relatives badly injured.

Sam brought Frodo's attention back to the present, long enough to explain, "Well, I am sure there will not be as much trouble as there was the last time the Mogwai was here." He reassured Frodo, "Don't you worry about the creature, Master Frodo. I won't let the same incident happen twice in the Shire."

"I know you won't, Sam," said Frodo, feeling some relief. He waited until after Sam left the room, with the rest of the post, before he continued to ponder over Mr. Wing's message, as if attempting to decipher its meaning.

* * *

On mid-summer's day, Frodo resigned as Deputy Mayor of Michel Delving. The position of mayor was reinstated to an elderly hobbit man named Will Whitfoot, who would have another seven years of presiding at Banquets. After his resignation, Frodo quietly dropped out of all dealings in the Shire, which pained Sam as he noticed how little honour Frodo had in his own country.

Towards the middle of July, as the sun finished setting in the late afternoon sky, Frodo worked on filling the blank pages of Bilbo's red journal with his experiences from the quest to Mordor. Right as he finished the next sentence, Frodo heard three rasps on the front door to Bag End. Quietly closing the red journal, Frodo stashed the journal in a place only he and Sam knew, before he made his way out of the study and down a long hallway.

Crossing into the entrance hall, Frodo opened the front green door. Standing on the doorstep was an elderly man with one blind eye, which stayed motionless on the left side of his face. The trench coat and formal suit made him appear to be from a modern-day era. In the few seconds he saw this elderly man, Frodo recognized him; however, he could not recall the man's name until a few moments later.

Allowing the elderly man to enter his dwelling, Frodo said, politely, "You must be Mr. Wing. Pardon me, but what trouble has brought you this time?"

"No trouble, Mr. Baggins. I have come to pay my condolences with completion of your quest," answered Mr. Wing. In his hands, Mr. Wing carried a wooden box, which had strange markings engraved on all sides.

Frodo murmured to himself, "I'm sure you have."

"Is something wrong?" asked Mr. Wing.

Frodo said, "No, but…" Staring at the strange box in Mr. Wing's hands, Frodo asked, "What is in that box?"

Chuckling in delight, Mr. Wing said, "It is an old friend. He has decided to stay with you, in Shire. He says it is important that he comes to green country."

Growing suspicious, Frodo asked, "Who is this old friend, you speak of?"

In the parlour, once he set the box down on the table, Mr. Wing moved out of the way as Frodo examined the strange box. The second he touched the box's lid, the box shook violently. Wondering what sort of creature lurked inside, Frodo unlatched the box and opened its lid, causing the shaking to abruptly stop. Seconds passed before a furry brown creature, with brown eyes and a large white spot around its right eye, leapt excitedly out of the box, straight towards Frodo. The force of the inch tall creatures' leap sent Frodo backwards, landing on the rug-covered wooden floor.

Mr. Wing chuckled happily, as he watched the Mogwai embrace Frodo's neck. Mr. Wing gladly told the hobbit man, "I see Mogwai has decided here is where he belongs."

Bewildered, Frodo asked, "What?" Moving the Mogwai off his neck as he stood up, Frodo carefully placed the Mogwai back inside the wooden box. He then complained, telling the elderly Chinese man, "Mr. Wing, I cannot take this responsibility anymore." Once Mr. Wing faced him, Frodo added, "All three rules were broken last time, remember? I cannot risk taking care of him again." He paused, and then asked, calmly, "Why would you hand me the Mogwai now? Isn't there someone else that can handle him?"

"There was. Similar to your incident, he broke all three rules," said Mr. Wing. He added in recovery, "but Mogwai says otherwise." He stated, "I am sure, Mr. Baggins, you have suffered a great deal during your perilous quest. I know because I have heard your story more than once." Mr. Wing added, returning to the previous discussion, "But Mogwai needs you, and you may find you are in need of Mogwai. I would ask Mogwai for answers, not myself." He told Frodo last, "Remember the three rules and to keep them unbroken. You both may find what you seek." Before Frodo could protest further, Mr. Wing left Bag End. He vanished in seconds through a bright golden-hued light.

Frustrated, Frodo asked himself, "Now, what do I do?"

"Mogwai!" the Mogwai cried, giddily, "Mogwai!" He eventually said in delight, "Marish!"

Frodo heaved a tense sigh. He told the Mogwai, named Marish, "I will not have you stay at Bag End much longer. Until I find Mr. Wing, you are returning home." He left the parlour soon afterwards. He did not come out of the study until late in the evening.

Marish sighed in regret. Saddened by this news, he muttered, "Frodo changed."

* * *

Early the next morning, as he returned home from his walk, Frodo jumped upon hearing a loud feminine scream, coming from the kitchen. The second he burst inside Bag End, Frodo was met by Sam, who had just entered the parlour. The two hobbits stood stunned for a moment, before hearing the screams again. Realizing the screams came from Rosie, Sam rushed into the kitchen first to comfort his wife. Frodo, meanwhile, checked to see what had startled Rosie.

One of the cupboard doors opened slowly. Seeing the bright sunlight beaming off from the windows, whether opened or closed, Marish the Mogwai slammed the cupboard door after him, hoping the darkness inside the cupboard would protect him from the bright light.

Sam spotted the Mogwai, minutes before Frodo had a chance to close the windows. Sam told Frodo, already frustrated, "The Mogwai came back?" Releasing Rosie, Sam grabbed a broom and announced, "He won't bother Rosie again-"

Frodo stopped Sam, before his friend could open the cupboard door and swing the broom at Marish. Calming his gardener down, Frodo reassured him, "I'll take care of the Mogwai."

"You will?" asked Sam, testily. Lowering the broom, Sam muttered, "Master Frodo, you realize this – Mogwai caused trouble at Hobbiton five years ago?"

"I know, Sam," said Frodo. He noticed Marish dash out of the cupboard. Following the Mogwai into the study, Frodo spotted Marish staring at his maps with curious eyes. He noticed Sam and Rosie follow cautiously behind him.

Glancing at the three hobbits, Marish insisted, "Marish."

Confused, Frodo asked the Mogwai, "What are you telling us – Marish?"

"Marish," said Marish, pointing with an index finger at a map of the Shire.

Realizing what the Mogwai had told him, Frodo moved Marish off from the stack of maps. As he picked up a map of the Shire, which showed the four farthings or borders of the country, Frodo glanced over at a marshland in Buckland. As Frodo stared at the marshland, the same one Marish pointed out to him, Marish exclaimed in delight, "Marish!"

Sam asked his master, confused, "Master Frodo?"

Facing his gardener and friend, Frodo told him at once, "Sam, I'm returning to Buckland. Since that is where Marish wants to go, then I cannot stop him from…"

Nervous, Sam said, "Master Frodo, all that water - the Brandywine River! Surely, Buckland won't be any help to you." He paused. "I thought water was how the Mogwai multiplies?"

"Yes Sam," exclaimed Frodo, tensely. Calming down some, Frodo told him, "but that is the road I must take, if I am to return this creature safely home." He added, "You have to trust me. I am sure this is one journey I can finish on my own."

Sam inquired, concerned, "You will need my aide, Master Frodo…"

Frodo shook his head. "No Sam, but I might need Merry's help to enter the Marish – the marshlands." He reassured him, "Don't worry, Sam. I'll be home soon."

Before Frodo left the study, with Marish trudging after him, Rosie stopped him and asked, "When will you leave?"

Frodo answered, "With luck, before the dawn rises." He corrected himself, "I will leave by tonight, after supper. I promise, Rosie." He then left Sam and Rosie by the study's doorway.


	2. Unforeseen Journey, Oneshot

**Unforeseen Journey, One-Shot**

Returning to his bedroom, Frodo waited until after Marish had entered the room before he closed the door and searched for a pack. The second he found one, Frodo heard footsteps approach the door. Marish hid his face as the knob turned and the door opened. Frodo, however, was surprised and relieved to see Sam and Rosie enter his bedroom.

Sam, at once, told his master and friend, "Master Frodo, the Marish is where Farmer Maggot lives. That marshland resides in the Shire, not Buckland."

Frodo said, "I know-" His voice faded as his mind drifted for a few moments. He wondered if could actually finish this task, as opposed to the quest to Mordor, where the creature Gollum had destroyed the Ring when he could not…

Bringing Frodo's attention back, Sam asked, "Do you need help packing?" He noticed Frodo face him, as he added, "I know you said you would leave by this evening, but this creature – we do not know if he may be dangerous, like last time. Travelling to the marshland will take you days on foot."

"I won't be travelling on foot, Sam – at least, not the entire journey," admitted Frodo.

Sam suggested, "Then I suggest you leave right now, before dusk. The sooner this Mogwai is out of our hands, the better."

"I'll grab some food," said Rosie, charging down the hallway in seconds.

Frodo thought for a moment, and then said, "You don't need to do this…"

Sam replied, soft but stern, "Yes I do. One of us needs to stop this, before the Mogwai becomes an issue." Without saying another word, Sam left the room and looked for Rosie.

Once he was left alone with the Mogwai, Frodo said nothing to Marish as he grabbed some clothes and placed them inside the leather pack. Before Marish could assist the hobbit, Frodo fled from the bedroom, carrying the half-filled pack in one hand.

o-o-o

As soon as Frodo entered the kitchen, Rosie gave him a loaf of freshly-baked bread, cheese, two to three apples, and the leather water bottle that Frodo had carried with him on the journey back to the Shire. With the pack ready for travel, Frodo brought it into the parlour, but took the wooden box into his bedroom, where Marish was still on the bed, awaiting his return. After some coaxing, Frodo managed to get the Mogwai to climb into the box, mere moments before he closed and latched the box's lid.

Returning to the parlour, while carrying the wooden box in one hand, Frodo said his goodbyes to Sam and Rosie. Frodo was about to leave when Rosie stopped him. She told him at once, "You make sure to come back alive!"

Frodo gave her a small grin. He replied, "I will come back. I promise." He said a final farewell to the couple, before he grabbed his pack and slung it around his shoulders. After picking up the wooden box, which he had set on the rug, Frodo left Bag End, past the front green door.

* * *

Arriving at the village of Bywater, Frodo walked inside the stables, where his pony Strider was being kept in the furthest stall from the doors. Once he set the wooden box down and opened its lid, Frodo entered the stall to saddle his pony. Marish gave Frodo a sad look as he climbed out of the box.

A few seconds after he helped Marish, by setting him on top of a wooden stool, Frodo told the Mogwai, "You suggested the marshlands. Do not think I will back down on this." However, Marish's expression did not change. "What?"

Softly, Marish muttered, "Meadow."

Frodo asked, confused, "What was that?"

"Marish – meadow," said Marish, glancing away as tears fell down his furry face.

Still confused, Frodo answered, "I'm not sure what this meadow is."

"Meadow – in marshland," said Marish, a little happier.

Holding the wooden box out in front of Marish, Frodo insisted, "Come. Get inside the box."

"No!" demanded Marish, shaking his head.

Frodo paused. Then he said, softly, "Come on, Marish. If I don't get rid-" He recovered, but only so slightly, "Look, I know I haven't been – you shouldn't be here. This is not the time or the place for all this travelling-"

Marish looked at the hobbit man and asked, "Frodo – afraid?"

Frodo answered, calmly, "Of course, but I still do not wish to take responsibility for you."

Marish nodded. He said, "Marish – goes to marshland, finds meadow."

Frodo told the Mogwai last, "Come on. Get inside the box, before someone sees you."

Marish, as he climbed into the box, told him, "Marish helps Frodo find meadow. Marish helps then?" He did not receive an answer from Frodo, as the hobbit closed and latched the lid on him.

* * *

The journey from the village of Bywater to the town of Stock took most of the morning and some of the afternoon to complete by pony. Most of this reason was due to stopping to rest and eat lunch. As Frodo ate a few rations in his pack, he eventually opened the wooden box's lid in a shaded area and gave Marish half of his food, which the Mogwai ate in delight and satisfaction. Once he was ready to set out again, Frodo closed and latched the lid of the wooden box, before tying the lid to the back of saddle. He then resumed his journey to the town of Stock.

* * *

When he at last came to Stock, Frodo left his pony in the stables, before he traveled on foot, carrying the wooden box in one hand. As soon as he was a good distance away from Stock, but still in the Marish, Frodo unlatched and opened the wooden box's lid. In a few seconds, the Mogwai leapt from the box and fled through the grassy, marshy area. Still carrying the wooden box, Frodo chased after the Mogwai. He was seconds into catching Marish, when the Mogwai vanished from his sight behind a boulder.

Walking around the boulder, Frodo called, "Marish!" He received no answer.

When he at last found the Mogwai, Frodo watched as Marish fled through a heavy fog. The Mogwai did not come out of the fog, nor did he call back to the hobbit. Worried the Mogwai may have gotten himself lost, Frodo followed after Marish into the foggy mist.

The mist stretched on from every direction. Frodo nearly turned back, but found himself lost in the fog. Faint voices could be heard from all distances; nonetheless, Frodo thought the voices were away from him. He was about to turn back again, hoping to find another way to reach Marish – wherever he was, when he tripped over a loose root and fell forwards on the grassy ground.

The wooden box slipped from Frodo's hand. The box tumbled for a few moments, before it stopped a few feet away from where he lain.

Recovering from the blow, Frodo heard small footsteps approach. He looked up as a Mogwai stopped before him. The Mogwai's gaze showed little kindness towards the hobbit, only suspicion and terror. Before Frodo could move or speak, he felt a rock clonk him hard on top of the head. He blacked out seconds later.


	3. Mogwai Meadow, Oneshot

The Mogwai chief's mention of the scientist Mogturmen and the history of the Mogwais came from the novel to the first "Gremlins" film. There is also a very brief mention of "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" film in Marish and the Mogwai chief's tale.

* * *

**Mogwai Meadow, One-Shot**

Frodo awoke with a splitting headache. He could hardly move, as his wrists and his ankles were bound by rope. From where he lain on the soft bed of green grass, he could hear a spring rushing in the near distance. Scents of fresh pine needles and morning dew filled his lungs, giving him a hint that he was in a wooded area.

He soon picked up a strong scent of fur.

Opening his eyelids, Frodo saw he was in a meadow, lush with wildflowers. Surrounding the hilly landscape were forest patches and mountains. Before Frodo stood a large group of Mogwais, carrying spears and speaking in a tongue unfamiliar to the hobbit. The tallest of these Mogwais appeared to be the leader, but also a chief from the way he stood, walked, and silenced his tribe. Just as he spoke, a high-pitched voice cried:

"Wait!"

The voice belonged to Marish, who burst through the crowd of Mogwais at full speed. When he reached the chief, Marish stopped to catch his breath. Barely keeping his gaze on Frodo, Marish spoke in his native Mogwai tongue to the chief. Despite confusion, Frodo noticed the Mogwai chief's expression change from curiosity to frustration. Moments into crawling away from the crowd of Mogwais, Frodo was struck hard on the back of the head with a rock. He blacked out seconds later.

o-o-o

Hours passed before Frodo regained consciousness. Morning came once more to the meadow, but Frodo could not see a sun rising on the horizon; only the rays of light that flickered towards the earth. Amidst this strangeness, there was a sense of tranquility to the meadow, something he did not notice until now. The Mogwai tribe, their chief, and Marish were nowhere to be found, or so Frodo thought at first.

As his vision cleared, Frodo saw the Mogwais had scattered throughout the meadow, but also inside the forest. In moments, he realized his wrists and his ankles were free of their bonds. While relaxing the muscles in his ankles and his wrists, thoughts of food and water crossed his mind. Although he noticed his leather pack and the wooden box, that carried Marish for a time, were missing, the need to find water and food seemed clearer. Unable to avoid the need, Frodo dashed across the meadow and into the wooded area.

The hobbit's flight through the shadowy forest would not last long. The second he found a crystal-clear spring, near the underbrush, Frodo took a few sips from the water. Much to his delight, the water tasted sweet but was also cool and refreshing to his parching mouth. Just as he drank two handfuls of the spring's water, Frodo heard horns blowing in the near distance. He charged away from the spring as soon as the Mogwai tribe, and their chief, spotted him, announcing his presence on the spot. He did not run far, as he was snared in a net by the Mogwais, who sent the net flying towards one of the tree's thick lower branches. Frodo briefly peered down at the forest floor, where the Mogwais in the tribe gathered in a tight circle around the tree. He only had moments to hear Marish's voice speaking in his defense to the Mogwais and their chief, before the net fell towards the forest floor.

Bewildered and shaken from the collapse, Frodo was helped out of the net by Marish and the Mogwais in the tribe. When he sat up, Frodo heard Marish tell the Mogwais in the common tongue:

"Wait!" Marish explained fast, "Frodo not bad. Frodo helped Marish find meadow." He added, "Frodo afraid… Mogwais might turn Gremlins." At that, he heard murmurs from amongst the Mogwais. "Marish come to meadow for peace. Marish no longer wants trouble."

The Mogwai chief told Marish, parting the crowd as he spoke in a deep, yet high-pitched voice, "Then let him come forward." The Mogwai chief asked Frodo, continuing to speak in the common tongue, "Why have you come to this meadow, Hobbit? Mogwais live here. No outsiders allowed."

Frodo nodded. He said, aloud, "I understand. I only came here to find Marish, and it seems he has found his home." Hesitant, Frodo added, "I should return to the Shire. My friends will wonder where I am." He asked, "Where is my pack?"

The Mogwais in the tribe chuckled delightfully, until their chief silenced them. The Mogwai chief spoke again to Frodo, "You will leave the meadow tonight, after the feast. You will be the first outsider to this meadow. Until I tell you where to find pack, you will stay with us."

Stunned, Frodo protested, "No. I have to return to the Shire."

The Mogwai chief ended the conversation there. "Hobbit, you are still the tribe's prisoner! Until we set you free tonight, you will join us at the feast." He led the Mogwais in the tribe away from the tree.

As some of the Mogwais in the tribe moved the net to another area of the woodlands, Marish stayed behind with Frodo, who was already leaning his back against the tree. Marish admitted to the hobbit, "Other Mogwais not like Frodo. They think Frodo bad. Marish know Frodo is good."

Frodo replied, "This is not the first time I have been a prisoner. Only then I was…" His thoughts returned to the last stage of his journey to Mordor, where he had been captured by the Orcs of Cirith Ungol. Returning his thoughts to the present, Frodo said, as if hoping to relieve himself of past events, "No. This is not the same as the quest to Mordor." The moment he said 'Mordor', the forest seemed to feel darker. The dreaded silence slipped away soon afterwards.

Marish told him, "Marish remembers Mr. Wing speak of long journey to dreaded land. Marish understand now why Frodo not want me anymore."

Feeling pity towards the furry creature, Frodo said, "I am sorry, but we must part ways…" He peered up at the sky through the trees. Then he asked, "Marish, where is the sun?"

Marish chuckled in delight, "All throughout meadow."

"I do not recall seeing a sunrise," said Frodo, curious now.

"If there are sunrises and sunsets, they are swift. Night moves fast here." Marish then leapt away, calling to Frodo, "Come! We're late for feast!"

Frodo made a small grin, before he followed Marish through the wilderness.

o-o-o

Upon Frodo and Marish's return to the meadow, the Mogwai chief told the two to sit near him at the top of a hillock. Not long after they joined the Mogwai chief, the feast began. Much of the food consisted of meat, but there were also some fresh fruits and vegetables. The water the Mogwais drank did not make them multiply, which stunned and confused Frodo as he ate. As he found out from Marish and the Mogwai chief, the light did not burn the Mogwais, nor was there a slight chance for all the Mogwais to hatch into gremlins.

Although Frodo could not understand why the three rules were not broken at this point, the Mogwai chief explained how the Mogwais were first created by a scientist called Mogturmen, who hoped the Mogwais would become ambassadors of peace on other planets. Due to a miscalculation, the Mogwais could become gremlins by eating food at midnight. Some Mogwais turned malicious, while only a few were kind and well-mannered.

When it was Marish's turn to continue the story, he told Frodo about how he fled to the planet called Earth and met Mr. Wing, who took him in and cared for him. Then Marish was given to Billy Peltzer, who obeyed the three rules, but his friend did not and so the malicious Mogwai-turned-gremlin Stripe became the leader. Marish admitted he was called Gizmo when was given to Billy as a pet. He then told the rest of the story, in which Stripe was defeated, Marish was given back to Mr. Wing and then arrived in the Shire – Frodo gladly allowed Marish to continue his story after the incident at Hobbiton and Bywater the prior five years. Marish admitted only briefly that the gremlins came again inside a hotel, but the mess was resolved soon after and Mr. Wing became his owner yet again.

Once Marish finished explaining to the Mogwai chief how he ended up in Frodo's care, a year after Frodo's journey to Mordor, which Frodo was not so keen on explaining every detail of his adventures to the Mogwai chief, the Mogwais in the tribe debated for a short while. The Mogwai chief allowed the Mogwais to debate, before he sent Marish and Frodo away from the meadow. He also told Frodo he was free to come and go as he pleased, which meant the hobbit could return to the Shire at any given time. Frodo thanked the Mogwai chief for his hospitality, before he followed Marish back to the forest.

o-o-o

Inside the wooded area, Frodo and Marish came across a small yet tranquil glade. There, Frodo found his leather pack. However, he only found half the loaf of bread and small amounts of cheese still inside the pack, along with all his clothes.

After Frodo slung his pack over his shoulders, he asked the Mogwai, "Marish, where can I find the way back to the Shire?"

Marish pointed at the stream. "Follow stream. You'll find boggy marshes again, and Shire." He embraced Frodo fast, by grabbing his leg. "Marish will miss Frodo."

Frodo sighed. "I know, as will I." He released Marish from his leg. He told the Mogwai last, "You are safe now. Don't worry about me." He said last, "Take care, Marish." He gave Marish one last look, before he followed the stream out of the forest's glade.

* * *

For a time, the stream continued to take Frodo through the woods near the meadow. Then, in one short moment, the fog reappeared before Frodo's eyes. He nearly found himself lost in the misty area. Only by hearing the sounds of stream-water did Frodo pull himself together, long enough to cross the foggy landscape.

Coming out of the fog, Frodo heard familiar nocturnal sounds. As he left the fog, Frodo approached the boulder, which now appeared as a pillar sentinel, protecting the area from outsiders of the Marish, the marshland area of the Shire. He briefly recalled Marish's sad look. Frodo wondered if he would ever meet the Mogwai again, or the tribe that accepted him to their meadow.

On his return to Stock, Frodo grabbed his pony Strider from the stables and mounted him. He rode Strider out of the stables and away from the town, down the main road, before the hobbit folk could ask him any questions, regarding his evening journey to the Marish.

The ride back to Bywater took a few hours to complete on pony, but this depended greatly on the speed of the pony and whether Frodo would have to slow down because of folk walking on the main road to finish their errands or to meet with relatives and friends at their hobbit-holes. Arriving at the village stables, Frodo left his pony Strider inside one of the vacant stalls. His walk back to Hobbiton was slow, yet his heart felt heavy. He could not stop thinking of Marish and the fate that awaited the Mogwai, even if this meant Marish finally received a pleasant life…

Frodo's thoughts returned to the present, only to find he climbed halfway up the Hill. After walking past Hamfast Gamgee's smial – Samwise Gamgee's father's dwelling or hobbit-hole – and climbing up the Hill's road another few feet, Frodo arrived at Bag End. Approaching the fence, Frodo saw Rosie by the open kitchen window and Sam working in the garden. Neither hobbit noticed he was standing by the fence, until he spoke to Sam:

"I can see the garden needed some tending." He added, "I think you may have missed a weed or two."

Frustrated, Sam announced, "I'll get all the weeds, Master Frodo-" He stopped himself in mid-sentence.

Realizing his master and friend had returned from his venture, Sam called his wife Rosie, who was busy preparing food in the kitchen. While Sam and Rosie spoke loudly to one another, Frodo opened and closed the gate to Bag End. As soon as Frodo found a bench to sit down on, he heard Sam ask rather seriously:

"The Mogwai is in the Marish now?"

"Yes Sam," said Frodo, calmly. He added, "He's well."

"I hope Farmer Maggot didn't give you too much trouble," said Sam, pulling another weed out of the soil.

Frodo's voice drifted, only a little, "No, he did not." Returning his thoughts to the present, Frodo asked his gardener and friend, "Sam, did Gandalf come to Bag End today?"

Sam answered, "No, Master Frodo. Gandalf won't be in the Shire for another week." He admitted in honesty, "You've been gone for two days."

Frodo murmured, softly, "Oh."

In spite his confusion, Frodo heard Rosie's voice from the kitchen, announcing to Sam that lunch was almost ready. Even after he followed his gardener to Bag End's front green door, Frodo's mind stayed on Marish the Mogwai. Although he would have liked to see the Mogwai again, at least for a short time, speaking to the wizard Gandalf the White about leaving Middle-earth with his uncle, Bilbo Baggins, seemed the right decision, given the pain in his wounds had increased, since his leave from the Mogwai meadow.

* * *

Marish spent the next few days wandering across the meadow. Although Marish had now become a male Mogwai, he could not stop wondering what became of his temporary owner and friend, the hobbit Frodo Baggins. He was soon caught by a female Mogwai, who seemed very curious but cautious towards him.

As the female Mogwai joined him, Marish told her, sadly, "Marish miss his hobbit friend."

Intrigued, the female Mogwai replied, "The one that came to meadow?"

"Yes!" exclaimed Marish, but backed off in moments.

The female Mogwai paused. Then she said, in a high-pitched voice, "You Marish, me Blinky."

Blinky continued to ask Marish questions about his adventures, and his owners. Marish, soon finding Blinky a friend, talked to her more often than any other Mogwai. After this long conversation, Marish came to realize he had at last found his home.

* * *

**So here ends **_**The Mogwai Meadow**_**.**

**I would first like to thank ValueMyHeart for reading and reviewing this story, even though this three-shot took longer than expected to complete. I would also like to thank any readers and reviewers for taking their time to read through this story, straight to the end. The Mogwai Blinky, at least her name, was given to me first by BritneyandHarryPotterForever , but she gave me the name back in **_**The Green Goblins**_**.**

**Obviously, from the way this story ends will be left up to you, the readers, to figure out on your own. As for me, I'm going to decide what to work on next, but will more than likely continue working on my poem collection, **_**Past Ruminations**_**, and any other works I would like to begin.**

**Again, thank you all for reading this story.**

**-Aria Breuer**


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